On Mar. 31, 2024, the North Carolina State (NCSU) University’s basketball teams made history - again. This year is the first time ever that NC State is sending both their men’s and women’s teams to the Final Four during a March Madness tournament according to 247Sports.
Since the men's team’s objectively successful run throughout the ACC championship, upsetting multiple high-ranked teams such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), they have shown zero sign of slowing down. The team advanced to the Final Four, celebrating former coach Jim Valvano’s famous mantra, “Survive and Advance.” The NC State’s women's basketball team also has made incredible strides in the NCAA’s March Madness tournament, advancing to the Final Four as well. This is the second time in program history for the Wolfpack Women and the first time since 1998.
The NC State wins have been met with weekly celebrations of students and fans rushing to the bell tower to watch it be lit red in honor of both teams. Hillsborough Street is the celebration location as fans rejoice in the historic wins each week.
As Meredith is NC State’s sister college, the impact of March Madness isn’t lost on students. Some Meredith students attend classes or extracurricular activities at NC State. Allegra Banks, ‘27, is both a Meredith and NC State student. She is also an NC State marching band member on their drumline. Banks found it “cool that [she] gets to see [her] friends on national television”. She also stated that she feels “school pride because [of the] marching band.” Rachel Belue, ‘26, is also a member of NC State’s marching band and described her feelings as overjoyed. She also shared that “As a member of the NCSU Power Sound of the South marching band, [she] is extremely proud of how far the team has come.”
On Sunday, Mar. 31, the NC State men’s basketball team beat the Duke Blue Devils and the women’s team also had a victory, beating the Texas Longhorns.
For further bracket-busting, the men’s team takes on Purdue on Saturday, Apr. 6. The women’s team plays the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday, Apr. 5.
By Kat Whetstone, Reporter and Haileigh West, Associate Editor